EERC reports increase in hiring and contract awards

The Energy & Environmental Research Center experienced a significant rise in contract awards and increased hiring during Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16), which ended June 30, 2016.

In FY16, the EERC was awarded more than $36.5 million in new contracts, a 28.5 percent increase over the previous year and a 49 percent increase from FY14. Total contract expenditures exceeded $31 million, an increase of 7.5 percent from FY15. Over the course of the fiscal year, the EERC submitted 150 proposals worth $67.4 million to organizations worldwide.

“This is the second year in a row that we have seen significant financial progress,” said EERC CEO Tom Erickson. “Along with our success in awards, we launched a major internal reorganization focused on efficiency gains and aligning our core business activities, which has allowed us to meet the State Board of Higher Education three-year financial plan a year earlier than expected, regaining our self-sufficient funding model,” he said.

Over the 12-month period, the EERC hired a total of 11 new full-time employees, which is the result of continued steady improvement in the overall financial health of the organization.

“This fiscal year has brought the EERC the best year for new contract awards in six years, and we’ve made some major strides forward this year in expanding our capabilities and our capacity to respond to our clients’ needs,” said  “With the number of new contract awards in recent months, we’ve had an urgent need to bring additional staff on board to carry out the work and help meet client needs. The response has been so positive that we received more than 120 applications for just one recent position.”

With last year’s success, combined with nearly $25 million in contracts already awarded or under negotiation, FY17 is expected to bring a continued need for aggressive hiring.

The EERC’s success is due, in part, to a new focused approach on developing programs and client relationships to solve the world’s most pressing energy and environmental needs, attracting significant federal, state, and industry support. For example, the EERC has focused on the incredible opportunity that exists in North Dakota to bring together the synergies of coal, oil and gas, renewable, and agricultural industries, resulting in significant opportunity for the state. In FY16, the EERC received over $8 million in state awards to address current issues and enhance future energy opportunities for North Dakota. These projects demonstrate our commitment to serve the state of North Dakota and the businesses active in the state.

Erickson concluded, “The EERC now has a total client base of 1340 clients in 52 countries, which is a direct reflection of our commitment to strengthening relationships with current partners and our ability to foster new business opportunities. I would like to acknowledge the tremendous effort by our staff this year for their work on our existing core programs, building exciting new initiatives, and strengthening our presence in the state’s energy sector.”